Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood, Doctor Who, God, or anything that is publicly recognised.
A/N: - Well, this is the ninth chapter of Earth Angels Season One, I've decided to do a 4 part Easter special. (Sorry, plot bunnies changed my mind for me).
- NO LISA present whatsoever
- Janto in this chapter! (Finally!) There is some slight Gwen-bashing, a hint of Doctor-bashing (it's mostly angst driven).
- Enjoy!
Earth Angels: Easter Sunday continued
They pulled up to a moderately large sized house, and everyone hopped out. Ianto let everyone in, and got coffee going before the rest of the family arrived.
Gareth introduced Jack to the family saying "Guys, this is Jack, Ianto's boss. Jack, this is my Mam, Mary. My Tad, Ifan. My sister, Rhiannon. Her husband, Johnny, and their kids David and Mica." Jack was about to greet them when another load of people entered the room. "Oh, and this is Mam's sister, Bethan; her husband, Tristan; their daughter, Ella; her husband, Richard; and their sons, Ben and Will. Also, Tristan and Bethan's son, Harry; his wife, Jenny; and their three children, Noah, Isabelle and Annabelle."
Jack, having lost track of everyone after Tristan, smiled and said "Nice to meet you."
An awkward silence began to spread, until one very small girl tugged on his trousers and asked quietly "Do you know how to play catch? Uncle Johnny was going to play with us until he hurted his back." Jack smiled, not his usual full-on grin, but a calm, sweet smile.
"Sure, sweetheart. How many are going to play?"
"Umm…" She said before saying "Me, and Issie, and Noah, and Will, and Ben, and Dai, and Mica."
Jack over-exaggeratedly hummed "So, why don't we play hot potato?"
"What's hot potato?" A girl, identical to the one who had tugged his trousers, asked curiously. At a guess, Jack would say identical twins ran in Ianto's maternal side.
"How about I show you." Jack suggested, so both little girls grabbed a hand each, and dragged him outside. He heard Ianto say "I see you put him to work." As the door swung closed, and soon, Jack was surrounded by seven children, the eldest being between seven and eight, and the youngest between three and four, at a guess.
"So, who's got a ball?"
"I do." The eldest boy said.
"What's your name then?" Jack asked.
"David, but you can call me Dai: everyone else does."
"Well, then Dai. Throw the ball to the next eldest, and they can tell me their name."
The ball passed to a black haired boy with glasses and freckles, who said his name was Ben. After Ben, it passed to a pale, brown-haired boy, who said he was Noah. From Noah, it went to Mica, then to a small, ginger boy with freckles – Will. After Will, it went to Issie, who then threw it to her twin, Annie.
Annie handed the ball to Jack, who said "Okay, so, hot potato: we throw the ball, which is the hot potato, around the circle, calling 'One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more.' If you catch it on the more, you have to run around the circle as quickly as possible, and get back to your place before the ball gets passed through it. If you don't get back in time, you have to miss a go. We'll start off slow and get faster." The kids all grinned in glee at the new game, and soon their laughter could be heard through the glass doors.
"Your Jack's a real hit with the kids." Kat whispered in Ianto's ear.
"He's not my Jack." Ianto replied, blushing.
"But you want him to be, right?" Ianto's lush deepened and Father Ambrose asked "What's got you blushing like a lobster, Yan?"
Ianto said "Nothing, nothing whatsoever." He then muttered to Kat "and if you say anything, I'll tell Gary you're pregnant, and ruin the surprise I'm positive you have planned."
"You wouldn't dare." She hissed.
"Try me." Ianto said with a smirk.
"I'll take Gary aside and tell him if you talk to Jack about how you feel." She whispered.
"What are you two muttering about?" Gareth interrupted with a raised eyebrow.
"Nothing." Both declared loudly, and Ianto's already-impressive blush deepened several more shades.
"Interesting topic, nothing. It brings out the strangest of reactions." Father Ambrose observed, studying Kat and Ianto. "Kat, if I may say, you seem to be…"
"Looking ill?" Ianto interrupted. "I think so too. Maybe you should go rest for a short while, Kat? Mam said dinner will be done in half an hour."
Kat almost sighed in relief at Ianto's save and she nodded, whispering her thanks as she passed him by, on her way to Gareth's old bedroom.
"Jack's very good with the kids." Ianto's Tad stated.
"Well, he would be." Ianto said absently as he watched Jack smile and laugh. It was like seeing a whole new side of him: he was far more relaxed than Ianto had ever seen him. Except that time you caught him meditating, the night of Estelle's death. He had looked so relaxed then, it had been hard for Ianto to reconcile that image with his boss, Captain Jack Harkness, who carried the weight of the world on his broad shoulders.
"Ianto…Yan…Ianto!" Rhiannon called. "Earth to Ianto!"
"What?" Ianto snapped, pulled from his musings.
"Why would he be?" She asked slowly, as though talking to a simpleton.
"Because he's had kids before." Ianto stated, as though the answer was obvious.
"What happened to them?" Jenny asked cautiously.
Sighing, Ianto drew his gaze into the room and allowed his eyes to flicker from face to face. "He had three sons and four daughters. His oldest son was lost, years ago. Jack was really young when it happened, barely in adulthood. He doesn't know if Seth's alive or dead. He then married, and had another son, Peter. After Peter, he had a daughter, Emily. After Emily, his wife died giving birth to his third son, James. He found his next two daughters, Lottie was sixteen, and Ellie was her daughter. They were living on the streets, and Jack took them in, adopted them and Lottie looked after the four younger ones as Jack worked. She'd dropped out of school, but Jack paid for her to do a evening college course. They were all killed whilst Jack was at work. A gunman entered their house and shot them all. Peter killed the man, so Jack never found out why. His last daughter, Melissa, was taken by her mum, and Jack's second wife. Jack rarely sees her. She also has a son, now – Jack's grandson – Stephen."
"How old is he?" Ella asked.
"Older than he looks. I don't know exactly, as he doesn't celebrate birthdays like we do." Ianto's eyes flickered across his family's faces once more, and he saw varying looks of pity and sadness. He knew his family would smother Jack with affection, now, so he said, catching each and every member's eyes "Don't let on that you know: he's a very private man, and he wouldn't be happy knowing I told you."
"So why did you?" His Tad asked accusingly.
"Because I know you all, and I know Jack. The next time you spoke to him, you would have made some inane comment on how he'd make a great father, and he would freeze up, caught up in the guilt and grief. Then you'd all press him for answers, and he'd feel obliged to tell you. Then you'd all smother him in your apologies for his losses, et cetera."
"Ouch." Gareth said "If I didn't know any better, baby brother, I'd say you're actually worried we'll hurt Jack's feelings."
"I am." Ianto said. "He's been through a lot already, and he deserves to be left in peace. Plus, I've got to work with and for him. It's not really the best situation if every time he looks at me, he sees you guys offering your belated sympathies at his losses."
Ianto's gaze returned to Jack, and he watched as four boys tackled him to the ground and the girls then come to his rescue. Laughing, he walked into the kitchen.
"You love him, don't you?" His mam asked quietly.
"I…" Ianto said before stopping and looking both worried and confused.
"I don't mind, Ianto, but maybe you should tell him. I don't think he would have braved your family's inquisition if he didn't have strong feelings for you."
"I don't know, Mam." Ianto said finally. "I don't know if I love him. The first time I saw him, I was hurt, and he saved me. I woke from unconsciousness to him. He offered me a job, even though I worked for the place that caused an old friend of his to…disappear. I saw…see him as a knight in shining armour. A guardian angel." He smiled wryly to himself. "He's saved me on numerous occasions, even when he could have gone. I don't know if what I feel is simply hero-worship, or if…"
"If it's a whole lot more?" She completed quietly. Ianto nodded, so she said "Maybe you should listen to what he has to say, and wait until your feelings become clearer to take the next step, if that's what you want." Ianto blushed: he really did not need a sex-talk with his Mam. Especially when Jack could happen upon them at any moment.
"Umm, thanks, Mam, but I'd rather not…"
"I know. Gary said exactly the same thing." Ianto nodded before going into the garden. "Oh," his Mam called after him "and dinner's ready, Ianto. Get the kids and Jack in, and make sure they all wash their hands."
Ianto rolled his eyes and said "Even Jack, Mam?" He heard his mam chuckle as he stepped through the open door. "Dinner time." He announced. "Nain Mary said no dinner until you've all washed your hands properly. Taid Tristan's meant to be checking, and we all know how strict he is."
The kids' eyes widened and they dashed off to the nearest sink to wash their grubby hands. "Come on, Jack. I'll show you where you can wash yours in peace."
"Will mine be inspected too?" Jack asked sardonically.
Ianto muttered under his breath something about "…never knowing…" and "…crazy uncles that scare off the prom date…" and "…meant to be the girl's tad's job…"
Jack laughed and patted his shoulder. "I'm so glad proms never existed where I'm from. They seem like too much trouble to be worth anything. Couldn't you stick to the three-course-meal that you Brits seem to enjoy so much."
"Of course not," Ianto responded with heavy sarcasm, "everything British simply must be Americanised nowadays."
"Oh, yes." Jack said with mock seriousness as he followed Ianto up the stairs. "I've even heard that sulphur, and any word derived from it, no longer contains the '-ph-'. It's merely an '-f-' now."
"I heard that too. However, talk has it that a silent revolt is going on in the schools. All students and teachers are refusing to write it with an '-f-', and no one's correcting them."
Jack grinned and said "Well, then, I hereby declare that Torchwood shall henceforth never use any Americanisms. We are a British Institute, and we shall not bow down to the might of America."
Ianto grinned "Says the Director with an American accent."
Jack pouted "Hey, it's not my fault that the Boeshane Peninsular was an New-New American colony. My parents weren't even from New-New America: they were from New Scotland. My Mum was called Skye after both the colour, and the island on which she was born."
Ianto smiled "It's a nice name."
Jack snorted "Yeah, until you find out that her brother was called Lapis, and her sons were also named after different colours of blue."
"So you were a blue family?"
"No, we were honey-bronze." Jack said with a grin, and Ianto looked at him, momentarily puzzled, before laughing. Jack joined in, and soon, they were gasping for air.
"Aoi." Jack whispered as their laughter stopped. "Aoi Japheth MacLeod."
"What…?" Ianto asked, confused.
"My name. They called me A.J." Ianto blinked in surprised confusion as Jack closed the toilet door behind him, leaving Ianto in the corridor, stunned by the information Jack had imparted with him. The level of trust that showed…
Dinner was a rowdy affair, at least, it was for everyone but Jack and Ianto, who both sat in contemplative silence, glancing at each other with a frequency that had everyone raising their eyebrows subtly at each other. As it was only the adults at the table (all the children were eating their dinner in the lounge, as they were all old enough to feed themselves) the talk bordered on randy at many points of the conversation, and Kat watched worriedly as Jack didn't so much as glance up, let alone make any inappropriate jokes. Father Ambrose watched as his two friends, one old, one new, avoided each others glances with a raised eyebrow. He sensed something was off between them, and wondered what it was.
Desert was served when Father Ambrose finally decided to speak to Jack directly. "So, what did you think of our last two Masses?"
"Well, it was all very pretty, but it seemed a touch…" he paused, considering, before he carried on "…soulless. It seemed like it was just ritual and damnation, I mean, it was mentioned that Jesus died for our sins, but nothing in the Masses really carried that point on to the next level."
"What is the next level?" Bethan asked.
"Well, it is as Father Ambrose was saying to me on Friday: Jesus was tortured, ridiculed and killed so God would forgive all sins. Therefore, the only forgiveness that is required is that of the sinner and the sinned. The sinner must forgive themselves, and the sinned must also forgive them, if both souls wish for peace at Home."
"Home?" Ifan asked.
"He means in heaven." Ianto jumped in quickly.
"Why call it home then?" Richard asked.
Jack smiled softly and his eyes glazed over slightly as he said "Because that is what it is. Home. The place where one feels happiest and safest. Where our God embraces us if we are in pain, and all our loved ones abide. At Home, where the days are different and beautiful, and where all our soul's hurts are washed away. Home, where we can be held in the arms of God, if we need it." Jack sighed softly before blinking. Everyone was watching him in amazement; everyone, except Ianto, who had face-palmed his head, and looked as though he wanted to groan in despair.
Jack blushed and whispered "Sorry, I…I umm get carried away when I think of it, sometimes."
"Umm, Jack, are you sure you've never heard the calling to be a priest." Father Ambrose asked cautiously, causing Kat, Jack, Gareth and Ianto to burst out laughing.
"Jack…a p…p…priest." Kat said through her laughter.
"The world would end!" Gareth exclaimed.
"Hey!" Jack said with a mock pout. "I think I would make a damned good priest."
"Only way you're going to get to marry yourself!" Ianto chuckled, and he and Jack redoubled their laughter. The rest stared at them as though they were mad.
Coughing, Jack and Ianto flushed. "Umm, so yeah. Not the best idea." Ianto said.
"Yeah, umm, it's a bit creepy, and many of the higher uppers wouldn't accept my ideology." Jack added.
"So…" Ianto said drawing out the word.
"Maybe we should move on to the next bit of entertainment." Tristan suggested.
"That would be us." Kat said to Gareth.
The games lasted two hours, and everyone was laughing, and had forgotten the odd comment made by Jack and Ianto. Everyone, that is, except the priest, who could feel a pull inside of him, telling him Jack was special, different, possibly even holy.
Jack decided to sit out of the hunt, and watched with Ifan, Ianto, Mary and Bethan as everyone scurried around the house. He had fun, laughing as Gareth tripped Johnny up so Kat could grab an egg. The couple had then waltzed to no music before sticking their tongues out at the fallen, laughing man and dashing away. Annie and Issie also seemed to be working together, one of them distracting the adults with a few tears as the other snuck past them to grab an egg. No one mentioned that the adults studiously ignored the creeping girl, pretending to shower their attention on the crying girl before them.
"Your family are amazing." Jack whispered to Ianto, who blushed and said "Mam and Aunty Bethan have always been really close. They used that as an excuse to force us to stop arguments in their tracks: no one wanted to tear them apart."
Jack smiled and repeated "Your family are amazing."
The hunt was drawing to a close when Jack's vortex manipulator bleeped. "I'd better go check my VM." He said to Ianto.
He came back, minutes later and said "We've got a problem."
"If you say weevil, I may cry." Ianto said.
"Worse." Jack stated "Hoix. And there's more than three. Owen said he couldn't see how many more, but there are definitely more than three. They need both of us."
With a sigh, Ianto rose and told him Mam he and Jack were being called in to work. He really didn't want to go. He knew they'd only end up killing all the aliens. Hoix were too dangerous when in packs, they'd have to use the big guns, and Jack would be in a mood for days afterwards. He always hated not giving the aliens a fair chance, but knew they were too dangerous not to deal with.
No decaf. for his Captain, then. Ianto sighed as they drove to the site. Owen, Tosh and Gwen would meet them there with the weapons and they would open fire onto unarmed aliens who could kill ten people with their bare hands. All in all, a horrible ending to what was actually a nice day.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, and I'll post the next chapter when it's written.
Well, this was the finale of the special Easter chapters. I was only going to do three, but I couldn't stop imagining what would happen if Yan was at the Church with his family, and, well, this chapter is what came of it.
TTFN and DFTBA x
